Taming the Heiress by Susan King

asked.
    She turned to stare at him in surprise. "Iain?"
    "Fergus's son. Is he like him, too?"
    "Iain... is Fergus's foster son, though related to my father. Iain is blond, like... my father was." A breeze fluttered a strand of hair over her eyes. She reached up to sweep the wayward strands back just as Dougal did. Their fingers touched. His hand lingered on hers for a moment.
    "Golden in the sunshine, your hair," he murmured.
    Oh God, she thought, as her knees went soft and a deep yearning spun in her belly. His quick touch stirred through her. She moved back.
    "That is very familiar, sir," she said primly. "We are not on those terms."
    "We were once," he said. She turned, stood silently, heart pounding. "Forgive me, Miss MacNeill," he added quietly.
    She was not ready to forgive him without some trust first. But she rather liked him, and had not expected that. She did not answer, watching their son splash in the wavelets.
    "Well," Stewart said after a moment, "I must go. Please tell Lady Strathlin that I shall call on her soon. We have much to discuss."
    "Yes," Meg said.
    "Perhaps in a few days I will call at Clachan Mor."
    "If she will meet with you," Meg said.
    "Would you speak on my behalf, Miss MacNeill?"
    "Why should I do that?" she asked sharply, glancing at him.
    He smiled, his eyes crinkling. "You do not need to," he said gently.
    "Well, then," she said ineffectually, and lifted her chin.
    "Tell her that I look forward to meeting her."
    "She will not be what you expect, Mr. Stewart."
    "I am certain." He smiled a little.
    She narrowed her eyes. Had he guessed so quickly? How long before he puzzled it all out?
    "Please tell Lady Strathlin that she is invited to come out to Sgeir Caran to see the work we are doing there. Perhaps if she visited the site, she would understand the need for the project."
    Meg frowned. "I'm sure your invitation is appreciated."
    "If you would care to visit the rock, as well," he said, "I would be more than glad of it."
    The thought of standing on that rock with Dougal Stewart, even in the company of others, made her breath catch. She did not know if she could face it. "I will consider it," she answered.
    "Good." He smiled at her, and the mischievous curve in his upper lip dissolved something deep inside of her, one more barrier of resentment. He had an unconscious magic, this man, a natural ease of humor and intelligence that was intriguing. The slightest touch, the smallest smile cast spells over her.
    Quickly she turned away to gather the little bucket and shells. Her notebook lay on the rock and she grabbed at it, but her hands were full and it fell at the engineer's feet. The pages fluttered open, revealing pages covered with sketches and notes.
    He stooped to pick it up. "Is this yours?"
    "I keep a journal of the flora and fauna on the island. I enjoy drawing a little."
    "May I see?" She nodded, and he flipped through the pages, examining her careful drawings, pausing now and then to admire a study of a bird or a shell, or to scan her brief descriptive notes.
    "Fascinating," he commented. "You are both scientist and artist, Miss MacNeill. These are very good drawings, and interesting notes. You've labeled each drawing in English, Gaelic, and Latin. This is remarkable work."
    "I have been compiling these for years. I like to make the details correct, so I look up the names of the plants and wildlife and so on in dictionaries."
    "You must have a thorough library on... Mull, is it?"
    "No, my grandfather collected a wonderful library—" She stopped, realizing she had said too much.
    He lifted a brow. "Norrie MacNeill has a library?"
    "My maternal grandfather had a large library. I inherited... some of his things."
    "I see." He turned more pages. "Gannets, gulls, puffins, curlews, shearwaters, storm petrels... ah, and the golden eagles on Sgeir Caran... I had no idea there were so many birds here. And shells, starfish, crabs, and seaweed. Several varieties of kelp are all labeled here too.